Ukraine and Russia far apart in direct talks, but prisoner swap agreed

Vocabulary: 258, Words: 493

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER OFFICE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE Delegates from Turkey, Ukraine and Russia sit at a table with flags behind and flower arrangements in front of them

1More than three years into Europe's deadliest war since 1945, there was a small step forward for democracy on Friday.

2Delegations from Ukraine and Russia came face to face for talks for the first time since March 2022 – one month after Moscow invaded its neighbour. 3The setting was an Ottoman- era palace on the shores of the Bosphorus in Istanbul.

4Pressure and encouragement from Turkey and the US helped get the warring parties there.

5There were no handshakes, and half the Ukrainian delegation wore camouflage military fatigues – a reminder that their nation is under attack.

6The room was decked with Ukrainian, Turkish and Russian flags – two of each – and a large flower arrangement – a world away from the shattered cities and swollen graveyards of Ukraine.

7Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, told the delegations there were two paths ahead – one road leading to peace, and the other leading to more death and destruction.

8The talks lasted less than two hours and sharp divisions soon emerged. 9The Kremlin made "new and unacceptable demands," according to a Ukrainian official. 10That included insisting Kyiv withdraw its troops from large parts of its own territory, he said, in exchange for a ceasefire.

11While there was no breakthrough on the crucial issue of a truce – as expected - there is news of one tangible result.

12Each side will return 1,000 prisoners of war to the other.

13"This was the very good end to a very difficult day," said Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defence Serhiy Kyslytsya, and "potentially excellent news for 1,000 Ukrainian families."

14The swap will take place soon, said Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who led his country's delegation. 15"We know the date," he said, "we're not announcing it just yet."

16He said "the next step" should be a meeting between Zelensky and Putin.

An annotated photograph shows the Ukraine representatives in suits sitting at a table. L-R: Oleksandr Bevx, Serhiy Kyslytia, Rustem Umerov, Oleksiy Shevchenko and Oleksandr Poklad

17That request was "noted" according to the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky – a presidential aide. 18He said the Russian delegation was satisfied with the talks, and ready to continue contacts.

19He said the Russian delegation was satisfied with the talks, and ready to continue contacts.

20That was a change from Thursday when Russia's Foreign Ministry called President Zelensky "a clown and a loser."

An annotated photograph shows the participants from Russia in suits sitting at a table

21But there are fears – among Ukraine and some of its allies – that Russia is engaging in diplomacy simply to buy time, to distract from international pressure for a ceasefire, and to try to stave off the 18th round of European sanctions. 22The EU says they are already in the works.

23And while the two sides have now sat around the table, President Trump has said the only talks that count will be those between him and President Putin.

24He announced on Thursday, mid-flight on Air Force One, that "nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together."

25It's unclear when that meeting will be. 26The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says top-level talks are "certainly needed," but preparing a summit will take time.

27Whenever those talks happen, President Zelensky is unlikely to be invited.

from BBC